TGIF Feature: Accent on Pacquiao

Drake imitates Manny Pacquiao singing "Let It Go," from the movie Frozen.

IF IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery, Manny Pacquiao should be extremely thankful that he is the object of these takes on his accent and his personality.

Pacquiao is not a simple man but he is genuine in his enjoyment of life and his enthusiasm for singing. He really thinks he can sing and you can't fault a man for that.

Many of today's recent immigrants from the Philippines are embarrassed by Manny's "country" accent. I love it. I grew up hearing it.

It is the accent of the Filipinos who tilled the fields in California and Washington, the accent of sugar cane workers in Hawaii, and the accent of Filipinos working in Alaska's canneries and fishing vessels.

It is the accent of my soldier father and sailor father-in-law and their peers who formed communities throughout the west, in New York City and Chicago after fighting for America during World War II. They laid down the foundation for the next generation of Filipno Americans to which I belong.

Recent Filipino immigrants have adopted a more refined accent that emphasizes the Spanish influence on the Philippines' language and culture. You hear it from the Filipino newscasters and hosts who broadcast to the Filipino American viewers in urban centers throughout the U.S. Their "Manila" accent may sound more "sophisticated" and perhaps more palatable and acceptable to western ears. 

Drake is a successful rapper from Toronto, which has a large Filipino Canadian community. When Drake's Manny video came out about a year ago, some people called it racist. They thought he was making fun of Manny, a national hero to may folks from the Philippines. 

I viewed the video and laughed. Not because of his imitation of Pacquiao, but the accent was spot on. To hear the accent coming from a non-Filipino and done so accurately, was funny. The way the phony Pacquiao's handlers reacted and kissed his ass was hilarious, too. No wonder Manny, the boxer, can't stop being Manny, the singer.

Drake was not making fun of Manny. He was making Manny funny.

The Too MANNY Things video release last week was timed to take advantage of the publicity preceding the "fight of the century" between Pacquiao and the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather. It purports to be the first in a series that is supposed to document the fighter's life: A phony reality show.

The video's Manny is played by comic Maques Ray and spoofs the multi-talented fighter and the many interests of the boxer/singer/basketball player/politician. 

Another Filipino American, Tess Paras, plays the role of Jinkee, Pacquiao's wife.

Guest starring is "Fresh Off The Boat's" Randall Park, who plays Pacquiao's assistant. Park and Ray often partner with each other in skits and routines in southern California's nightclubs and comedy shops.

In the 5-minute video, Ray mimics the boxer as he sings, tells jokes, stops his assistant from cursing and even does action scenes with his trademark grin.

Have a great weekend!

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